By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A 38-year-old man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping a 23-year-old woman at South Beach Canals in 2023.

Jason Ferguson was sentenced by Justice Franklyn Williams after a nine-member jury unanimously found him guilty of the offence on February 18.

The attack reportedly occurred after Ferguson attended a late-night party at Envy Sporting Lounge on January 2 2023.

Later that night, while driving with the complainant and two mutual friends, the men got out during an argument on Independence Drive, leaving Ferguson alone with the complainant.

Ferguson then reportedly told the complainant to be quiet, claimed he had a gun, and locked the car doors. He drove her to the South Beach Canals, where he raped her orally, vaginally, and anally.

Ferguson allegedly threatened to kill the complainant, but she pleaded with him to let her go and promised not to go to the police. After he dropped her at a friend’s house, she reported the assault to officers at the Grove Police Station.

Throughout the trial, Ferguson maintained his innocence, claiming he and the complainant had been in a relationship and had been intimate in the past. He said their bond deepened after she confided in him about problems with her boyfriend.

However, his version of events was contradicted by Patrero Sherman, Ferguson’s acknowledged best friend, who denied knowledge of any such relationship.

In sentencing, Justice Williams called Ferguson “a vile, deluded fantasist, who projected his vile sexual fantasies upon the complainant”. He cited the brutality of the assault as an aggravating factor, noting that the victim was dragged across the ground.

A medical examination revealed abrasions on the woman’s back, lacerations to the anus, bruising and tenderness to the cheek, and vaginal bleeding. The examining physician testified that the complainant was depressed, crying, and appeared dirty and dishevelled.

Justice Williams also condemned Ferguson’s lack of remorse and his decision to force the complainant to relive her trauma during trial. He said Ferguson was not of good character and imposed a 20-year prison sentence.

Cephia Pinder-Moss and Calnan Kelly prosecuted the case, while Wendawn Miller-Frazier represented Ferguson.